The quote “Semen will not stay within the man who stays in bed beyond sunrise” by Pranaman highlights the importance of getting up early. The sunrise represents the beginning of a new day that God has provided for humans to evolve and thrive. It brings Prana, the life energy that is essential for all living organisms. The sun’s energy is the chief source of Prana that sustains plants, animals, and humans. It fills the entire cosmos with Sathwik and Rajasic energy, which supports purity and activity, respectively.
The human body’s various processes, including digestion, assimilation, circulation, and excretion, depend on the Prana energy that the sun provides. All the food we eat is also a product of Prana. Plants produce fruits and vegetables using solar energy, and when we eat them, we ingest Prana. Through the digestion process, Prana is transformed into Rethas, which is the seventh and last tissue element of the life process at the gross level. Semen, the subtlest and most potent form of Prana, is capable of producing another life.
Therefore, sleeping beyond sunrise can impact semen production, and it is essential to understand the properties governing the night. Sunset followed by the moonrise represents the end of the day and the withdrawal of life energy.
Birds instinctively return to their nests at nightfall to rest, and the moon, representing female energy, cools the atmosphere, making it more conducive for plants, animals, and humans to relax and recuperate from the toils of the day. Nightfall is a signal for humans to stop activity and rest. The energy present at night is not suitable for activity, but is created for rest and rejuvenation. Many biological, physiological, and psychological functions occur during sleep. However, if a man were to sleep during the day, he indulges in an activity that goes against nature.
During the day, the energies in nature are fully conducive for activity, achievement, and progress, and sleeping at that time is the opposite of what nature intended. At a time when ‘Sathwik’ and ‘Rajasic’ energies (the energies that support purity and activity, respectively) are predominant, sleeping during the day immerses one in ‘Tamasic’ energy (the energy promoting inertia and inactivity).
This has serious repercussions at physical, mental, and karmic levels. First, the mind and body, having rested during the day, become less prone to sleep at night, which is actually the right time to rest. A person who sleeps during the day cannot achieve deep and dreamless sleep that is necessary for revitalization and detoxification of the body at night. On the other hand, a person who has not slept during the day will naturally be more fatigued and tired at night, thus synchronizing with nature through deep sleep.
Not sleeping well at night can lead to various health disorders and rapid aging over time because various bodily hormones (such as melatonin) and secretions necessary for detoxifying, refreshing, and revitalizing the body during deep sleep at night are not produced. People who sleep during the day and suffer from a lack of deep sleep at night are prone to irritation, agitation, lust, anger, and other negative emotions. Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea are common in such cases.
By going against nature, a person creates an imbalance within themselves, for which they have to pay a penalty. From the perspective of Brahmacharya, people who sleep during the day and stay awake at night become unfit for a life of virtue and purity. They cannot hold their semen beyond a certain period. The energy present at night is meant for people to rest in deep sleep. However, if one is awake, these energies can evoke lustful and sexual undercurrents, causing the mind to wander over sexual objects, and eventually leading to frequent wet dreams.
The person who indulges in lustful thoughts may find himself constantly struggling with them even the day after. Additionally, sleeping in complete darkness offers the best health benefits. During the night, various health-giving hormones are released, such as melatonin, which is ideally released from the pineal gland in the brain between 2-3 AM when a person is in deep sleep. Melatonin is also known as the “Hormone of Darkness” as it can help prevent cancer, immune disorders, cardiovascular diseases, depression, sleep disorders, delirium, infertility, headaches, gallbladder stones, obesity, and mood swings, and can even provide protection from radiation. Unfortunately, the slightest amount of light can prevent the release of this hormone, making complete darkness essential.
There are many other health-giving hormones that are released only during deep night sleep, and not at any other time. The key to a healthy lifestyle is to go to bed no later than 10 PM and wake up before sunrise while it is still dark. In Hindu philosophy, the period between 4-6 AM, known as “Brahma muhurtha,” is considered the most suitable time to attain knowledge of the Almighty creator. During this time, all the forces and energies in nature are in perfect resonance for one to attain divine spiritual knowledge, which is the very aim of Brahmacharya.
It is said to be the time when the gods come down to bless and uplift souls who are aspiring for liberation. This is why a celibate is required to wake up early. The man who rises early and communes with God finds great success in every aspect of life. However, Brahmacharya becomes beyond reach for a man who stays in bed beyond sunrise. The period before sunrise is highly conducive to the Brahmachari wanting to meditate and evolve spiritually. It is a time that is neither day nor night but in between and promotes the meditative state that is beyond duality.
The normal man functions best with regular hours of sleep at night and activity during the day. Sunrise denotes the beginning of all activity with the advent of abundant cosmic energy, including heat, light, and positive energy, while sunset denotes withdrawal. This is the basic norm on which all life in nature functions. You may have noticed how birds instinctively chirp early in the morning without the need for electronic alarms. Not a single bird or animal on earth stays asleep beyond dawn. Their morning tweets celebrate a new day and a new life. Unfortunately, most men ignore their innate voice to rise early due to various factors and reasons, many of which stem from their degenerated mental state, choosing to remain in bed and subsequently missing out on the countless benefits of an early morning start to their day.
